[DECtalk] old synthesizers and baud rate?

[Blake Roberts]

I will share my hardware synthesizer memories from growing up.


In 1992, I was using a Braille N Speak 640. I began using a Braille Lite 
model starting in the late 1990's. I don't remember the specific model; 
it was the model prior to Millenium. The 1990's Braille Lite and Braille 
N Speak both had the same TTS technology. I think it was an Artic speech 
synthesizer.


Compared to that synthesizer, I always prefered the Apple 2E's Echo 
speech. In elementary school, the resource room had an Apple2E computer. 
In the summer for a few years, another district would let me borrow its 
Apple2e system; I borrowed disks from the other school district. The 
thing I remember about the two Apple2e computers was that each one had a 
different-sounding Echo II speech card. By that I mean, the same disk 
used in both Apple2 computers produced a different pitched voice. Having 
been a member of Jayson's Blind-Apple email list for many years, I 
realized during the past decade that there were at least two versions of 
the Echo II. Echo II and Echo II Plus.


Later in the 1990's, I used a couple of computers owned by school 
district which had Keynote Gold SA. I then received a Keynote Companion 
for home use which had an internal Keynote card. I remember how much fun 
it was to use Keynote speech with screen readers, whether it was the box 
version of Keynote at school or the Keynote Companion with voice card I 
had at my residence. Sadly, the Keynote Companion went to computer 
heaven in 2000. I then used a DoubleTalk speech card for a couple years 
before finially transitioning from Dos to Windows. I have used software 
speech since 2002.


The above is my TTS history. I don't have experience using most of the 
hardware synthesizers on Josh's list.


Blake



On 1/27/2023 8:14 PM, Brandon Misch wrote:
> I used the echo synthesizers for apple computers but that was for
> talking typer for the apple computers. I was only around 5-6 back in
> 91/92. I did see a braille 'n speak around 92. I used my first one in
> 94 but it was the classic with the august 13 1993 revision. I did use
> an acdcent synthesizer around 97/98 but that was for pc typer for
> windows. I mostly had software speech like access 32 with jaws 3.0 in
> 1998 and have been using software speech ever since. I did have an
> express that I got sometime in 2002-2003 but lost the cables and i
> don't know if they even work anymore. These days, I do have a DECtalk
> usb that I got from access solutions in 2012 that still works. that's
> my history with hardware and software synthesizers. sorry for the long
> message but you asked for it lol.
>
>
> On 1/27/23, joshknnd1982 at gmail.com <joshknnd1982 at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Brandon, did you use old hardware synths in 1990 1992 or so? If so which
>> ones?
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Dectalk <dectalk-bounces at bluegrasspals.com> On Behalf Of Brandon
>> Misch
>> Sent: Friday, January 27, 2023 19:53
>> To: DECtalk <dectalk at bluegrasspals.com>
>> Subject: Re: [DECtalk] old synthesizers and baud rate?
>>
>> probably had to do more with printing or embossing when it comes to the
>> braille 'n speak and other products.
>>
>> On 1/27/23, joshknnd1982 at gmail.com <joshknnd1982 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> Hi
>>>
>>> You know I wonder why one or two old hardware synthesizers had such
>>> high baud rates? The old Keynote SA I had, used baud rate 38400. All
>>> the others, my braille 'n speak and braille lite used baud rate 9600.
>>> Such a high baud rate of 38400 would give no advantage to screen
>>> reader or speech synthesizer. Unless they didn't want people copying
>>> text directly to the synthesizer through the serial port so they chose
>>> a very high baud rate? I think even decTalk only needed 9600 baud.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Josh
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
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